Paper fastener



Nov. 27, 1934. P. a. UNGER 1,982,272

PAPER FASTENER Filed July 7. lgss 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 LVVENTUR. 041/4, 0.Z/A/GEQ 1 ATTORNEY P. O. UNGER PAPER FASTENER Nov. 27, 1934.

Filed July 7, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [NVEN TOR.

[I TYTORN/i)".

Patented Nov. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE PAPER FASTENERMassachusetts Application July 7, 1933, Serial No. 679,272

13 Claims.

This invention relates to a paper fastener having a plurality of spacedprongs capable of retaining a plurality of sheets of paper or othermaterial in predetermined, orderly arrangement.

The primary object of this invention is to provide simple and eflicientmeans for holding a plurality of sheets in orderly arrangement and forpermitting withdrawal of any sheet or sheets from the mass of sheetswithout disturbing the orderly arrangement of the rest of the sheets.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent upon reading thefollowing description taken .in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fastener embodying the inventionapplied to a folder;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line II-II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the parts of the fastener indissociated position;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing a modified embodiment ofthe invention;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing a second modifiedembodiment of the invention;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the underside of the topmember of the preferred embodiment of the invention;

Figure 7 is a cross section taken on the line VII-VII of Figure 6looking in the. direction of the arrows;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 2 illustrating a slightly modifiedform of the invention; and

Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the 5 parts of the embodiment ofFigure 8 in dissociated position.

In the'drawings the reference numeral 2 indicates a bottom compressionmember provided with a pair of longitudinal reinforcing ribs 3 and apair of integral bendable prongs 4 extending from opposite ends of thebase portion. The bottom member 2 is provided with a pair of slots 5 anda pair of keepers 6 for a purpose hereinafter described. The keepers 6have their ends 7 bent around the edges of the base member 2 andprojections 8 are provided to prevent the keepers from sliding off thebase member. If desired, a center projection 8 may be struck from thebase member to limit the inward movement of the keepers. It will beunderstood that any suitable stop means may be substituted for theprojections 8 which are struck from the base member.

The reference numeral 9. indicates a top compression member having achannel shaped depression 10 extending substantially the entire lengthof the member. A pair of keepers 11 similar to the keepers 6 have theirends 12 bent around the edges of the top member 9 so that the keepers 11may slide on the top member. The ends of the top member 9 are bent down,as indicated at 13, to provide stops to limit the outward movement ofthe keepers 11. A slot 14 is pro vided in each end of the top member 9to receive the free end of the prong 4 projecting from the adjacent endof the bottom member. The top member is embossed, as indicated at 15, tofacilitate guiding the free end of the prong 4 through the slot.

Two pairs of spaced lugs 16 are struck out from the depressed portion 10of the top member. The lugs 16 depend from the bottom surface of the topcompression member. Each pair of lugs is adapted todetachably secure aprong 17 to the top compression member. The prong 17 is .provided withlateral projections 18 adjacent one end to prevent the prong frompassing all the way through the space between the lugs. Each pair oflugs is so positioned that the prong 17 secured thereby can be receivedby one of the slots 5 in the bottom compression member.

A plurality of cover members 19 and sheets 19' are provided with twosets of registering apertures 20 and two sets of registering apertures21. The top and bottom compression members are then pos tioned onopposite sides of the pile of sheets to be bound so that the prongs 4 ofthe bottom member pass through the apertures 20 and slots 14 and theprongs 17 pass through the apertures 21 and. the slots 5. The free endsof the prongs 4 are bent over the top member 9 so that they lie in thedepression 10. The ends of the prongs 4 are held in place against thesurface of the top member by means of the sliding keepers 11. Similarly,the free ends of the prongs 17 are bent against the surface of thebottom compression member and are held thereagainst by means of thekeepers 6.

It will be seen that I have disclosed a simple and efficient fastenerfor holding a plurality of sheets in orderly arrangement. When it isdesired to remove a sheet from the center of the mass without disturbingthe orderly arrangement of therest of the sheets, the keepers 6 and 11are slid out of engagement with the prongs and the prongs are bent tovertical position. The sheets lying above the sheet to be removed aregrasped with the top compression member and the sheets and top memberare moved off the prongs 4. The prongs 17 then maintain the top pile ofsheets in their orgininal arrangement and the prongs 4 maintain thebottom pile of sheets in arrangement while the desired sheet is removed.The rest of the sheets may then be assembled in their originalarrangement.

The prongs 17 may be made shorter than the prongs 4. If desired, theprongs 17 may be short enough so they do not extend through the bottommember. In this event, the prongs 17 act merely as aligning members andnot as holding members. However, the prongs 4 are generally sufficientto hold the sheets in bound relation, and the shorter prongs 1'? areadapted to maintain the top pile of sheets in orderly arrangement whenthe sheets are separated into two groups.

It is possible to substitute a single prong 17 for the pair of prongsshown. However, the use of two prongs is recommended, because it is thenimpossible for the sheets temporarily retained on the prongs whileseparated from the base member to rotate and cause the apertures 20 tomove out of register with each other.

The modified embodiments of the invention illustrated in Figures 4 and 5have the same base member 2 as the preferred embodiment. The fastenersillustrated in Figures 4 and 5 each have the same top member 22 and thistop member differs from the top member 9 only in that it has no meansfor securing prongs thereto. Accordingly, it is deemed to be unnecessaryto specifically describe either top or bottom members of the modifiedembodiments illustrated in Figures 4 'and5 In Figure 4 a separate member23 having slots 24 is adapted to be positioned on the prongs 4 betweenthe top member 22 and the bottom member 2. Prongs 25'are detachablysecured to the member 23 in the same manner the prongs 17 are secured tothe top member 9 of Figures 1 to 3 and 6 to 9, inclusive. The member 23may be provided with a reinforcing rib if desired, but this is generallynot necessary.

In Figure 5 a single piece of thin flat metal 26 has its ends 27 bent toserve as prongs to aid in holding the sheets together. The member 26 ispositioned on top of the sheets and is covered by the top member 22 whenthe mer oer 22 is positioned over the prongs 4 of the base member.

The embodiment illustrated in Figures 8 and 9 is the same as that ofFigures 1, 2 and 3, except that the prongs 17 are shorter than theprongs 4 and the slots 5 areomitted from the bottom member. Since theprongs 17 in this embodiment are not intended to pass through the bottommember, it is obvious that the keepers 6 and the projections z; are alsounnecessary in this embodiment.

Although I have described several embodiments of my invention in detail,it will be understood that the description thereof is illustrativerather than restrictive, as many details may be modified or changedwithout departing from the spirit or scope of my invention. Accordingly,I do not desire to be restricted to the exact construction described,except as limited by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a paper fastener, a pair of separate compression members, slots insaid compression members, and prong means on each of said compressionmembers adapted to be inserted through the slots in opposite compressionmembers- 2. In a paper fastener, a pair of compression members, slots insaid compression members,

prong means on each of said compression members adapted to be insertedthrough the slots in opposite compression members and bent against theouter surface of said opposite compression members, and means oneach ofsaid compression members to hold said prong means against saidrespective compression members.

3. In a paper fastener, a pair of compression members, sheet impalingprongs on one of said compression members, said other compression memberbeing apertured to receive said prongs, and a sheet impaiing pronghaving its base portion secured to said second mentioned compressionmember, said first mentioned compression member being apertured toreceive the free end of said second mentioned sheet impaling prong.

4. In a paper fastener, a top compression member provided with a pair ofslots, a bottom compression member, said bottom compression member beingprovided with prongs projecting through said slots and bent against saidtop compression member, means on said top compression member holdingsaid prongs thereagainst, and an intermediate member provided withintegral prongs projecting downwardly, said bottom compression memberbeing apertured to receive the free ends of said last mentioned prongs.

5. In a paper fastener, a pair of compression members, sheet impalingprongs on one of said compression members, said other compression memberbeing apertured to receive said prongs, and an intermediate prongmember, said intermediate prong member being apertured to receive tionedcompression member being apertured to receive the prongs of saidintermediate prong member.

6. In a paper fastener, a bottom compression member having prongsadjacent each endand a slot between said prongs, a top compressionmember having slots through which said prongs are adapted to beinserted, and keeper members adapted to hold the free ends of saidprongs against the outer surface of said top compression member, and anintermediate member having a prong adapted to be inserted through saidslot in said bottom compression member.

7. In a paper fastener, a pair of compression members, sheet impalingprongs on one of said compression members, said prongs being insertiblethrough slots in said other compression member and bendablethereagainst, an intermediate member, sheet impaling prongs on saidintermediate member, said seoond mentioned prongs being insertiblethrough slots in said first menadjacent its ends to receive the ends ofsaid prongs and a plurality of prong members detachablysecured to theunder surface of said top compression member, said bottom compressionmember being apertured to-receive the free ends of said second mentionedprongs.

9. In a loose leaf binder, a bottom compression member having integralprongs projecting therefrom, a top compression member provided withslots through which said prongs are insertible, and a. prong memberdetachably secured to said top compression member, said bottomcompression member being apertured to receive the free end of saiddetachably secured prong member.

10. In a loose leaf binder, a bottom compression member having integralprongs projecting therefrom, a top compression member provided withslots through which said prongs are insertible, prong members detachablysecured to said top compression member, said bottom compression memberbeing provided with slots through which the free ends of said secondmentioned prongs are insertible, and keeper members on said compressionmembers to hold the free ends of said prongs in parallel planes.

11. In a paper fastener, a top compression member provided with a pairof slots adapted to receive prongs projecting from a bottom member, andmeans integral with said top compression member to detachably secure aprong member to 'said top compression member.

12. In a paper fastener, a top compression member provided with a pairof slots, a bottom member, prongs secured to said bottom member andprojecting through said slots, a pair of spaced lugs struck out fromsaid top compression mem her, and a prong member detachably secured tosaid top compression member by means of said lugs.

13. In a paper fastener, a top compression member provided with a pairof slots adapted to receive prongs projecting from a bottom member, anda prong member having its base portion detachably secured to said topcompression member.

PAUL O. UNGER.

